1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward an apparatus for dislodging an object located in a person's airway, and more specifically to an apparatus using a source of compressed fluid to create a negative pressure region to dislodge the object.
2. Description of Related Art
Choking because of an obstructed airway is a leading cause of accidental death. If a choking person is unable to cough or speak then the person needs immediate aid. One type of aid is for a second person to perform what is termed the Heimlich maneuver by placing the second person's arms around the choking person and delivering a squeeze/thrust motion to the choking person's abdomen to make the diaphragm move air out of the choking person's lungs, creating a kind of artificial cough. The cough intended to move and expel an obstructing foreign body lodged in the airway. Each thrust should be given with the intent of removing the obstruction. In an instance where a second person is unavailable or does not understand how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, it is possible for an individual to attempt to perform the Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts on themselves using a fixed object such as a railing or chair. Even when done correctly, the Heimlich maneuver can result in injury to the choking person.
In addition, apparatuses that operate to generate a low pressure or a vacuum in the person's mouth or throat above the obstruction and thereby create some type of suction to dislodge an object lodged in a person's airway are known in the prior art. Typically, these devices use some type of diaphragm or piston to create the vacuum or low-pressure region. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,819 to Emerit discloses a source of vacuum in which a piston combined with a piston rod is axially slidable in a tubular body. A suction orifice is located along the axis of the body. This portable source of vacuum makes it possible to exert a suction on oneself at practically any point on the body for the purpose of drawing off the venom of a sting or bite after having applied the suction orifice in a sealed manner on the skin of a person.
A fluid extractor described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,621, issued to David M. Band et al. on Dec. 1, 1992, generates vacuum by subjecting a diaphragm to an external source of vacuum. While the device of Band et al. includes a mouthpiece, this is different from the facemask of the present invention, which seals pneumatic pressure at the face of a user subjected to vacuum for extracting a foreign object from the breathing passageways.
Takach, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,149, discloses an anti-choking device of the type wherein a suction device utilizing a manual pump to develop a partial vacuum on its down-stroke, and includes tubes and attachments for holding the device against the victim's mouth. Excessive vacuum, which could be harmful to the victim, is limited by construction of the plunger inducing a vacuum. The plunger deflects or yields if excess vacuum is developed, thereby allowing air to bypass the plunger and relieve the vacuum.